Pulse-actuated valve



May 14, 1968 W. Bl MAYFIELD PULSE-ACTUATED VALVE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Original Filed April 20, 1964 May 14, 1968 w. B. MAYFIELD 3,383,084

PULSE-ACTUATED VALVE Original Filed April 20, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F/E. 5% F/i 5"@ INVENTOR. WML/4M MAYF/fzo BY www United States Patent O 3,383,084 PULSE-ACTUATED VALVE William B. Mayfield, Sunland, Calif., assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force Continuation of application Ser. No. 361,633, Apr. 20,

1964. This application Dec. 12, 1966, Ser. No. 621,082 1 Claim. (Cl. 251-75) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Opposed Belleville washers are mounted on opposite sides of an armature to which a valve stem is connected. In completely open valve position one washer carries maxim-um load and the `opposed washer carries minimum l-oad. As the valve closes the loadings are reverse-d.

means, in the present exemplication a pair of Bellevillewashers, are provided for holding the armature in the position selected when the current is removed from the inciting solenoid. The position can only 'be ch-anged 'by actuating the opposite solenoid.

A further object of the invention is the design of a device wherein maximu-m and Iminimum loads and gradations of these loads are improsed on an armature by oppositely positioned Belleville washers under stress, one washer having maximum load in completely open position of the valve while the opposed washer carries minimum load. As the valve closes, the loadings are reversed. It is conceivable that valve positions between fully open and fully closed could be maintained by unequal loadin-gs on the opposed washers whose value lies between maximum and minim-um. v

These and other advantages, features and objects of the invention will become more apparent from the following description taken in connection with the illustrative embodiments in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view through the valve and showing the solenoid operating means;

FIG. 2A shows a typical load versus deflection curve for a Belleville washer having a ratio H/t equal to 2.6;

FIG. 2B is the representation of a Belleville washer where H represents the height of the washer and t its thickness;

FIG. 3A and 3B represent respectively the closed and open position of the valve where-in the spr-ing loads and directions of forces are demonstrated; and

FIGS. 4A :and 4B are the open and closed Ipositions, respectively, of a valve design with a at Belleville washer .and a fl-at faced armature Which contemplates Ishort strokes and rela-tively high rates.

A valve casing is indicated generally by the numeral 10. The casing in the example shown in FIG. 1 is comprised of a pair of th're'adedly connected sections 11 and 12 having communicating axial bores 13 and 1'4. A member 18 is fitted into a counter bore 20 in the casing section 11 in such a way that a valve seat and a flow chamber 26 are formed for a hollow poppet valve 22. Flow openings 24 communicate with the flow chamber 26. The

3,383,084 Patented May 14, 1968 hollow poppet valve head 22 is rigidly mounted on an armature 28 and moves therewith, sliding to and fro in the bore 13. An open-ing solenoid 30 and a closing solenoid 32 are placed in radially located recesses provided therefor in the casing sections 11 and 12. These provide the impulse necessary to magnetize the armature 2'8 and Imove it in one direction or the other, depending upon which of the solenoids 30 and 32 are energized to provide the impulse.

The armature 28 is located in an enlarged recess in the casing 10 and is capable of reciprocal movement therein. Its movement is governed, as stated, by energizing either of the solenoid coils 30 and 32, and it is held stationary in the position it holds at the instant the impulse is removed. A bushing 29 provides support for the armature.

A pair of Belleville washers 36 and 38 are located on opposite sides of the armature 28. As is well known, a Belleville Washer is a conically shaped resilient element, capable of compres-sion and, when compressed, offers an opposing force resisting deformation. Each of the washers 36 and 38 seats at its inner circumferential area on a face of the at armature element 28. Their outer circumferential edges are seated in shoulders 40 and 42 respectively of the retaining elements 44 and 46.

It will be seen that the washers 36 and 38 exert pressures ranging from maximum to minimum, depending upon the position in which the armature is at rest.

On FIG. 2A, the vertical coordinate indicates the amount of resisting force which the washer is capable of exerting under varying degrees of deilection. The greater the deflection, the less res-istance force it is able to exert. As the armature moves in one direction, the deflection on one w-asher increases, and its capability of resisting the deecting movement decreases, the opposite was-her is being aiected oppositely. At all times, resultant or combined for-ce of the two washers remains of a dimension incapable in itself of moving the armature, but suicient to counteract the momentum of the armature 28, and hold it .at rest at the end of the stroke. Any movement of the armature is accomplished only by current applied to the solenoid.

In the following example of operation given, specific values are given in pounds to the forces exerted at any given moment by each washer. These values are by way of exiample only, and may be varied .as expedient and desirable without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Referring to FIGS. 3A and 3B, the operating cycle is as follows:

Assuming the unit is in the closed position and pressure is Iapplied to the inlet port, there is no ow through the valve and the poppet 22 is loaded in the close-d position bythe force of the closed Belleville washer 38 which is 2.8 lbs. minus the force of the open Belleville washer 36 which is .5 lb. plus the unfbalance force which is 5 lbs. at 100 psi. Therefore the force holding the valve in the closed position at p.s.i. is 7.3 lbs. The opening solenoid 3-2 upon energizing, must produce an initial load greater than 7.3 lbs.

IAs the armature moves from the closed to the open position the two Belleville washers reverse their loads. The close position Belleville-38 reduces its load from 2.8 lbs. to .5 l-b. while the open posit-ion Belleville Washer 36 incre-ases its lo-ad from .5 to 2.8 lbs., resulting in a net load of 2.3 lbs. holding the valve 22 open. This assumes that the pressure -drop through the poppet 22 is negligible.

To close the valve 22, the closing solenoid 30 must produce a force greater than 2.3 lbs. upon energizing.

The negative rate characteristic is obtained by employing a free height (H) to washe-r thickness (t) ratio greater than 1.4. At some deection point beyond 50% of the free height the load, that is, the capability of the washer to exert force to oppose deflection, will decrease and at some point become negative. FIG. 2A shows a typical load vs. deection curve for a Belleville washer having Ia H/t ratio of 2.6. Such a washer is shown in FIG. 2B.

Applying this to the valve, the spring loads and direction of forces are as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B.

It should be pointed out that the use of commercial manufacturing tolerances on the Belleville washers can be accepted because of the close c-ontrol of the installed position and maximum deflection position. As can be seen, the installed posit-ion (max. height) is the stroke minus the Belleville thickness and the maximum over center position is equal to the thickness of the Belleville washer.

Where the valve is designed for short strokes and relat-ively high stroke rate, flatter washers 36 and 38 having a smaller H value with reference to thickne-ss are used with a dat faced armature, as is shown at 28 in FIGS. 4A and 4B.

As can be seen on FIG. 1, the effect-ive armature area on the opening solenoid is larger than that on the closing solenoid. This is due to the poppet running through the closing solenoid bobbin. This in turn Will produce a greater force in the opening direction. Pressure produces a force holding the poppet on seat, requiring a greater ttorce to open the unit, which coincides with the solenoid forces.

Although the invent-ion has been described with reference to particular embodiments, it will be understood to those skilled in the art that the invention is capable of a variety of alternative embodiments within the spirit and scope of the appended claim.

What I claim is:

1. -In a pulse actuated valve, a valve seat and a valve head, means for moving said valve head to seat and unseat said valve, said means comprising an armature attached to said valve head and mov-able by solenoid provided impulses, 'and means for maintaining said armature and valve head immovable upon the removal of said impulses until such time as an impulse is -again applied, said means comprising a pair of opposed Belleville Washers placed one on either side of said armature, one of said Washers being compressed yand deformed to reduce its ability to resist deformation by the movement of said larmature in one d-irection While the opposed washer is `being `released and i-ts ability to res-ist deforming force is being increased.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,435,817 2/1948 Boynton et al. 335-256 2,533,187 12/1950 Cataldo et al 335-256 3,099,282 7/1963 Miller et al. 251-75 X FOREIGN PATENTS 563,530 8/1944 Great Britain.

M. CARY NELSON, Primary Examiner.

A. ROSENTHAL, Assistant Examiner. 

